Los Gatan June 14 2023

COUNCIL RESPONDS TO STATE CALLING MONTE SERENO ‘SEGREGATED’

Meeting follows rejection of city’s Housing Element

Drew Penner, Reporter

Monte Sereno turned to granny flats—also known as accessory dwelling units—as a way to satisfy affordable housing mandates, adopting its draft Housing Element in the nick of time, at the end of January.

But with California’s Department of Housing and Community Development partly rejecting this approach, March 31, saying Monte Sereno needs to allow multifamily units in its borders to overcome a legacy of segregation, current and former elected officials expressed their frustration and confusion at Council on June 6.

Former Mayor Shawn Leuthold, speaking during public comment, was frustrated the housing authority will only allow the City to count 160 toward the 223 (193 plus a 15% buffer) it’s required to plan for.

“How do we say, ‘No,’ and appeal?” he said. “They cannot be the certifying body.”

Monte Sereno is now moving toward incentivizing lot splits permitted under the new SB9 law, but Council members weren’t interested in following ➝ Council, 6

STUDENTS SEND CLASS OF 2023 OFF WITH SOME INSPIRING WORDS

Los Gatos High School celebrates its graduates

Drew Penner, Reporter

After a winter that included an atmospheric river natural disaster, Los Gatos High School’s Class of 2023 was dispatched into the wider world in a June 9 ceremony held outdoors in pleasant conditions.

The event, broadcast live on public access station KCAT, gave student speakers the chance to reflect on their academic journey and fire peers up for the days ahead.

In his address, Omid Akhbari said students had been forced to overcome plenty of obstacles in the pursuit of greatness.

“We stand here at a high school noted for knowledge, in a city noted for progress, ➝ Class, 5

longhorns cheer p12 : hotel lyndon p14 : upcoming events p15 : ny times crossword puzzle p17

WE DID IT Los Gatos High School graduate Keira Dodd is all smiles after walking down the steps during the school’s June 9 ceremony. For more photos, turn to page 8.

Jonathan Natividad

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VASONA NOW BOASTS WHEELCHAIRACCESSIBLE BOATING FACILITIES

Staff Report

It’s known for its paddle and row boats you can rent from early spring through fall.

But now, Vasona Lake County Park boasts new ADA-compliant boat docks.

That’s thanks to work done by Guerra Construction Group, including a wheelchair-accessible system.

“This is a really satisfying investment in expanding access to all of our County park resources,” said District 5 Supervisor Joe Simitian, in a release. “Upgrading Vasona’s facilities means

our residents with disabilities can safely get out on the water.”

Over the last couple years a number of local businesses were hit with lawsuits claiming they’d violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Town of Los Gatos has been focused on upgrading its facilities to make sure they’re accessible to people of all ability levels.

The County has been trying to provide plenty of recreation opportunities for people with disabilities, too.

Vasona, its busiest day-use park, was a clear target for improvements.

Five years ago, the County held a

Day on the Lake, which brought out 100 people with disabilities to experience sailing, kayaking and canoeing.

“What was memorable about the Day on the Lake was the sheer joy on the faces of people experiencing the water,” said former Supervisor Ken Yeager, who got together with Los Gatos’ previous representative on the board, Mike Wasserman, to put in self-launching docks. “Supervisor Wasserman and I wanted the disability community to share that experience every day of the year.”

Wasserman says he’s thrilled to see their vision come to fruition.

“I wish to applaud and thank the Board of Supervisors, former Supervisor Yeager, and our awesome Parks Department for making this dream of ours—and so many others—come true,” he said in the June 9 release, announcing the County had signed-off on the work.

Goats at work

These goats chomp away on brush that towers over them on the hillside behind the Los Gatos Library on Sunday. The library recently received a grant from the California State Library, allowing it the opportunity to design programming and educational opportunities focused on sustainability and climate resilience. The 40 goats from the rental company Motherlode Goats will work to clear the hillside through June 17, showcasing a eco-friendly way to destroy invasive weeds. Observers are advised to not walk on the hillside to pet the goats, as an electric fence surrounds the property.

Erik Chalhoub/Los Gatan

STUDENTS SAY FAREWELL TO HIGH SCHOOL

Class, from page 1

and in a state noted for strength,” he said. “The class of ’23 and the seniors before us have dealt with various challenges through our four years of being a Wildcat. These challenges include Covid, global warming, senioritis and facial acne. And despite all these obstacles, we still managed to graduate.”

Akhbari said it’s now time for the grads to find their passions and leave a legacy.

“Throughout my four years as a Wildcat, I've learned a lot, including that in life, you cannot have an easy path to greatness,” he said. “The opportunity to achieve greatness is within everyone's grasp.”

After all, he continued, world leaders were once regular students, too.

“Class of 2023, today you will shake Mr. Buchanan’s hand,” he said, referring to principal Kevin Buchanan. “And many of you will post on your Instagram, with a caption from a Drake song. But it is important to recognize that you will set sail on this new sea— which is your adult lives—because there is new knowledge to be gained, new rights to be won.”

The sense of optimism in the crowd on the lawn was at its highest level.

“Many of you will become scientists, politicians, doctors and those who are brave enough will fight for their country,” he said. “What you do today will affect the lives of millions. And it is up to you to decide if this new ocean will be a sea of peace.”

Manav Thakkar, the next speaker, pointed out grads had—for the most part—been in school for 13 years.

“That’s roughly 3,368,600 minutes—roughly,” he said. “Yet, we spent so much of that time focusing on the idea of ‘one more minute.’ One more

minute outside on the playground during recess; one more minute till AP tests are over. And we are finally free.”

In his speech, Thakkar admitted that he’d entered high school with a sense of dread hanging over his head.

“Just as I figured it all out came sophomore year and Covid,” he said. “Time became a blur. We all went through our own unique hardships. We all had our own worries. And we were all forced to adapt extremely quickly.”

When they were called back to the classroom Thakkar found everyone had changed.

“Some of us had grown up,” he said. “And some of us had beards.”

This elicited chuckling from the audience.

“But then we were juniors and were embarking on the hardest year of our academic lives,” he said. “We were all stressed about SATs, PSATs, college applications, and the dawning realization that we’ve been forced into an intense competition with our peers.”

Nevertheless, the Class of 2023 continued to present a united front, according to Thakkar.

“This sense of community has not changed,” he said. “In the blink of an eye, four years turned to three, to two, to one, to one semester left..to one class, to one more minute…One more minute of high school and we are done. That is, if I ever stop talking anytime soon.”

He left the crowd with the wise words of Master Oogway from “Kung Fu Panda.”

“Yesterday was history; tomorrow is a mystery; but today is a gift,” he said. “That is why it’s called the present… remember to cherish every moment. Thank you.”

It is important to recognize that you will set sail on this new sea—which is your adult lives—because there is new knowledge to be gained, new rights to be won.

Omid Akhbari

COUNCIL DISCUSSES STATE’S LETTER

Council , from page 1

Sacramento’s lead toward apartments or condos.

The State specifically dinged Monte Sereno for not taking its earlier letter to heart, noting Monte Sereno didn’t make changes to the Housing Element draft to explain how it would welcome lower-income people into the city.

In fact, HCD says it isn’t just a good idea for Monte Sereno to think about building higher-density homes—it doesn’t have a choice.

“While the element was updated to include a program to ‘analyze’ opportunities for multifamily zoning, it still must identify and analyze significant and realistic opportunities for multifamily development in the planning period as part of this update,” states the rejection letter, sent by HCD Senior Program Manager Paul McDougall to Monte Sereno City Manager Steve Leonardis. “Based on the outcomes of this analysis, the element must include programs to make sites available with appropriate zoning, allowable densities (e.g., 20 units per acre) and development standards to encourage and facilitate multifamily development at maximum allowable densities.”

The housing authority says Monte Sereno didn’t go far enough in proving how it would create space in the Silicon Valley city for people of any race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, color, familial status or ability level, in the document that’s supposed to satisfy Regional Housing Needs Assessment mandates.

“The element requires revision to complete an assessment of fair housing,” the letter reads. “Among other factors, the City is entirely the highest resource category in access opportunity, wholly a concentrated area of affluence and predominantly consists of households with the highest median income, a stark contrast to the rest of the region. As a result, the element should include a significant and robust suite of actions (not limited to the RHNA) to promote housing mobility and increasing housing choices and affordability throughout the city.”

Councilmember Javed Ellahie, a Pakistani-American, bristled at the contention that Monte Sereno was racially segregated—and he said as much.

“Just because the prices are higher, it's not a segregation issue, it’s a wealth issue,” he said, telling an EMC Planning Group consultant, appearing over Zoom, to straighten the housing au-

thority out on this point. “If you could do something in that regard that would be very helpful.”

Councilmember Burton Craig was absent from the meeting.

Mayor Bryan Mekechuk, a former Toronto resident, sided with Ellahie, noting the four present Council members were all born outside of the United States of America, lending his voice to the choir calling for HCD to rethink their view of the community, which has an average income of $418,535, according to 2021 US Census data.

Councilmember Rowena Turner asked outgoing City Attorney Denise Bazzano, of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, if the City might appeal the letter.

Bazzano said the City can’t question the overall RHNA numbers at this point, and pointed out Monte Sereno still has time to make changes before serious penalties kick in.

“At this stage, there is nothing to actually appeal,” Bazzano said.

Ellahie said racial segregation doesn’t exist in Monte Sereno.

“I don’t believe we have any,” he said, addressing Ande Flower of EMC Planning. “Isn’t Monte Sereno already ‘affirmatively fair?’”

“This is a great question,” Flower said, pointing out that HCD wants Monte Sereno to do a regional analysis of segregation patterns. “It makes sense that it’s hard to see.”

In its first review, HCD points out that Monte Sereno itself agrees that there are probably what’s known as Racial Concentration Areas of Affluence neighborhoods in the community.

But, like with Los Gatos, the State says Monte Sereno needs to come to terms with the fact that the entire city is a site of racial segregation.

Vice Mayor Evert Wolsheimer said he’s been trying to study up on HCD rules, commenting, “—which, believe me, takes a substantial amount of coffee.”

Turner said she believes HCD is violating the due process clause in the Constitution.

“They say, ‘Here’s your RHNA allocation,’ and yet, ‘We’re going to give you more things that you’re going to have to overcome,’” she said. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

During the public hearing, Alex Qiao held up a picture showing the property where she and her husband

have been trying to build housing under the State’s new SB9 process. There’ve been way too many hurdles, particularly how California’s minimum unit size for such developments is 800 square feet, while Monte Sereno set a maximum of 800 square feet, she stated.

Qiao characterized this as a frustrating paradox.

“It is arguably legal, but senseless,” she said.

Bruce Lerman said residential options are so bad his son had to move to San Jose.

He, too, lambasted the City for its 800-square-foot SB9 maximum, in his public comments.

“Congratulations, you met your goal,” he said. “You’ve actually forced my son out of the area.”

Leuthold asked the body he used to lead to open up SB9 rules—but not by much.

“We (wouldn’t) want to suddenly split 500 of our units here,” he said. “We want to split 30 units.”

And as far as the requirement to put in multifamily? The former mayor predicted Council members who move in that direction would face the wrath of local voters.

“You know what happens when we try to identify lots,” he said. “There’s going to be recalls.”

Leuthold derided Los Gatos’ major affordable housing project, the North 40, as producing many luxury homes but not as many affordable units as some

community members had originally hoped for.

“That’s not helping solve any problems,” he said. “We need to say, ‘No, no, no,’ to HCD.”

Mekechuk, the current mayor, asked Leuthold how he thinks the City should ease SB9 restrictions.

“Do you think we should direct staff to expand the availability of SB9, and to come back to Council on some ideas on how to do that thoughtfully?” Mekechuk inquired.

Leuthold acknowledged Monte Sereno was required to play the housing “game” designed by Sacramento, and agreed that SB9 was likely the City’s best next move.

“When they split they’re going to be two half-acre lots,” he said. “We don’t want to be promoting that for all 1,000 units here.”

Developer Tony Jeans said SB9 homes can fit into Monte Sereno appropriately.

He’s submitted one so far, and has several more on the way.

“These are reasonable projects,” he said. “We don’t need to deal with this confrontationally.”

Ellahie suggested striking a partnership with West Valley Community Services as a way to get HCD off Monte Sereno’s back, showing it has a plan to make some ADUs available for lower-income households.

Monte Sereno City Planner Diana Perkins said she now had direction to move forward with a new SB9 ordinance.

HOUSING DISCUSSION Monte Sereno Mayor Bryan Mekechuk speaks during the City Council’s June 6 meeting.

POLICE BLOTTER

JUNE 4

• A woman was arrested for being in possession of unlawful paraphernalia on the 15500 block of Union Avenue at 1:55am.

• A man was arrested for driving with a suspended license and being in possession of unlawful paraphernalia on Union Avenue and Cole Drive at 4:32am.

• A caller reported noise coming from a speaker on Oka Road at 9:37am.

• A man was arrested for inflicting injury on a cohabitant on the 15900 block of Los Gatos Boulevard at 10:18am.

JUNE 5

• An unknown man was spotted in a backyard on Pollard Road “talking to himself, dancing and taking his clothes off” at 12:07pm.

• A caller said they felt uncomfortable because a man was parked inside a vehicle “scratching his head” on Bayview Avenue at 5:36pm.

• A man was arrested for being in possession of unlawful paraphernalia on the 15500 block of Los Gatos Boulevard at 9:31pm.

JUNE 6

• A man was reportedly sleeping inside a store on Los Gatos Boulevard.

JUNE 7

• Grand theft was reported on Bersano Lane.

• Two children who said they were lost were found at Vasona Park.

• A battery was reported on Los Gatos Saratoga Road at 8:57pm.

JUNE 8

• An intoxicated person was reported on High School Court at 5:26am.

• A man was arrested for throwing rocks at windows on Vista Del Monte at 11:39am.

• A man “wearing a ripped up shirt and pants that are covered in a black substance” was reportedly yelling at passersby on Pollard Road at 12:03pm.

• A man was arrested on a bench warrant on the 15900 block of Los Gatos Boulevard at 2:30pm.

• A man on a hoverboard was reportedly going door-to-door, looking into houses on Karl Avenue and Robin Ann Lane at 3:28pm.

• A vehicle was reported stolen on W. Main Street and N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

• A man and a woman were arrested for organized retail theft on Winchester Boulevard at 11:46pm.

JUNE 9

• A man reportedly stole the watch a victim was trying to sell to him on Village Lane.

• A man was arrested on an outside warrant on the 15900 block of Los Gatos Boulevard at 12:51pm.

• An unknown suspect stole alcohol from a business on Union Avenue.

• A vehicle was reportedly “paintballed” on Thomas Drive.

• A man was arrested for presenting an officer with unlawful vehicle registration on Winchester Boulevard and Hacienda Avenue at 10:47pm.

JUNE 10

• A man was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol on the 15900 block of Los Gatos Boulevard at 2:14am.

• A man was arrested for breaking a window of a vehicle parked on N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

• Someone stole a wallet while the victim was shopping on Los Gatos Boulevard.

• A caller reported a loud party with a live band on Fillmer Avenue.

• A woman was arrested on an outside warrant on Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road at 8:47pm.

COMMENCEMENT 2023

CELEBRATE Clockwise from top left: Graduates celebrate as they walk across the stage at Los Gatos High School. Wil Brennan points to his diploma. Caps were launched high in the air to conclude the ceremony.

Manav Thakkar and Omid Akhbari pose for camera.

Photos by Jonathan Natividad

PROUD MOMENT Clockwise from top: Graduates work their way down the steps at Los Gatos High School. A graduate grabs his diploma with a dab move. These graduates show off their decked-out caps. A newly graduated student celebrates. The ceremony saw many unique graduation caps.

Photos by Jonathan Natividad

LOCAL SCENE

LOS GATOS STUDENT TO PLAY WITH ITALIAN NATIONAL LACROSSE TEAM

Los Gatos High School junior Agata Fin has been selected to join the Italian U21 National Lacrosse team, in preparation for the European U21 Lacrosse Tournament 2023 in Prague, Czech Republic the first week in July.

As one of only three players selected in North America, Fin attended an open tryout in Houston, Texas, open to any Canadian or American of Italian lineage. She participated in the Italian Lacrosse Training Camp June 2-4 in Treviso, Italy in preparation for the tournament.

Playing since third grade, Fin has been a member of Los Gatos High School’s Varsity Lacrosse team since her sophomore year, and played Junior Varsity her freshman year.

“Our student athletes are so much more than just competitive participants in their sport,” Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District Superintendent Bill W. Sanderson said. “Their character development and tenacity help develop them into strong leaders and prepare them for incredible moments such as this one. I wish Miss Fin the best of luck and congratulate her on this unique opportunity.”

INPUT SOUGHT ON COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (SCCFSC) announced that the public comment period for the draft update to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) opens on June 19 and will run through July 2.

All Santa Clara County residents are encouraged to read and review the draft plan, and to submit their input and feedback for consideration in what will become the final CWPP later this summer.

Cal Fire awarded a $250,000 grant to SCCFSC to lead the 2022-2023 Community Wildfire Protection Plan update. With this grant, SWCA Environmental Consultants has been selected to update the current CWPP (drafted in 2016) in coordination

with regional stakeholders. In December 2022, SCCFSC held a series of five community meetings (one in each County Supervisor’s district), to review the process and solicit initial public input.

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council assembled a management team comprised of county agencies and a management advisory committee with more than 70 representatives from across the county, with exper-

tise in fuels management, technology, utilities, staff of elected officials, previous CWPP planning, and various other groups to help guide the process and provide input into the development of the plan.

“CWPPs are a critical element for county wildfire preparedness,” said Seth Schalet, chief executive officer for Santa Clara County FireSafe Council. “We want the public’s engagement and input to ensure as

many voices are heard when the final version is released later this summer. Wildfire frequency and severity is on the rise, increasing risk here in Santa Clara County. We worked closely with our community partners, with the support of the Board of Supervisors, to bring forward the current plan so that the CWPP will further wildfire preparedness initiatives throughout the county and provide support for residents seeking resources to be better prepared for wildfire.”

Residents can visit the FireSafe Council CWPP website to review the draft document at sccfiresafe.org/cwpp.

SUPERVISORS ESTABLISH 25-MPH SPEED LIMIT ON OLEANDER AVENUE

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on June 6 to establish a 25-mph speed limit on Oleander Avenue in Los Gatos between Orange Blossom Lane and Azalea Way, with appropriate signage.

The County Roads Department is scheduled to return to the Board later in June to approve radar enforcement by California Highway Patrol along Oleander Avenue. Radar enforcement would begin after appropriate signage is installed.

“Local residents saw a problem and spoke up,” Supervisor Joe Simitian said. “They were heard.”

Oleander Avenue is located in an unincorporated County pocket adjacent to the Town of Los Gatos. In response to neighborhood concerns, the Santa Clara County Department of Roads and Airports recently completed an Engineering and Traffic Study, which recommended the 25mph limit. The San Jose CHP Office reviewed the study and concurred with the County’s recommendations.

“Higher speeds in residential areas, where kids, parents and grandparents ought to feel safe, are clearly dangerous,” Simitian said. “Now that the County has completed the study, we’re able to improve safety in the neighborhood.”

In the past year, since Los Gatos and the Santa Cruz Mountain communities were redistricted to the

TEACHING ABROAD Katrien Weemaes of Los Gatos has been accepted into the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Lexie Corcoran

Fifth Supervisorial District (now represented by Simitian), the Board has approved the following proposals to improve road safety:

• In June 2022, and in response to concerns raised by Los Gatos residents, the Board adopted a resolution to extend the 30mph speed limit on Black Road between Thompson Road and Highway 17 Frontage Road.

• In September, the Board voted to move forward with a preventive maintenance project to maintain the safety and integrity of Aldercroft Creek Bridge at Old Santa Cruz Highway in Los Gatos.

• Since January, the Board of Supervisors has allocated $15.4 million for repairs to roads damaged by the 2022-2023 winter storms, and is working to reopen Old Santa Cruz Highway, Bear Creek Road and Aldercroft Heights Road.

• In February, the Board unanimously approved a $1 million contract for the installation and replacement of roadside safety barriers at six locations throughout the county, including at the intersection of Old Santa Cruz Highway and Ogallala Warpath, near the Chemeketa Park community in Santa Cruz Mountains.

“It’s not particularly flashy stuff,” said Simitian, “but this is the work that keeps people safe. That is, and should be, priority number one.”

BUCKNELL GRADUATE ACCEPTED INTO INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Katrien Weemaes of Los Gatos, a 2021 graduate of Bucknell University, has been accepted into the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, which is often considered the country's most prestigious international exchange experience.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright enables American graduate students the opportunity to study, conduct research or teach English abroad.

Weemaes, an economics and environmental studies double-major, will step away from her current position as a government consultant with Deloitte Consulting to travel to Indonesia, where she will serve as an English teaching assistant. Wee -

maes says she believes her time in Indonesia will inform her ultimate career goal, which is to develop and implement policies and strategies to help communities contend with the consequences of climate change. Indonesia is considered a vulnerable, high-climate-risk country.

At Bucknell, Weemaes' myriad academic and artistic interests (she also minored in dance and management) inspired her interest in Indonesia, where artistic expression, economic development, community resilience and sustainable innovation are at the forefront of daily life. “Many local communities in Indonesia have persisted through recurring natural disasters, yet grow stronger economically while maintaining rich cultural and artistic practices,” she said.

Weemaes added she is grateful for the connections she formed at Bucknell, particularly with supportive faculty members.

“They encouraged and challenged me to tackle a variety of academic and artistic endeavors,” she said. “I'm extremely grateful for the everlasting connections I made at Bucknell.”

LOCAL STUDENT GRADUATES FROM RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Alice Bibaud of Los Gatos graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on May 20.

Bibaud earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located in Troy, N.Y., awarded a total of 1,988 degrees during the ceremony.

HUGHES NAMED TO DEAN'S LIST AT MIAMI UNIVERSITY

Haley Hughes of Monte Sereno was named to the Dean's List at Miami University for the 2023 spring semester.

Miami University students who are ranked in the top 20% of undergraduate students within their division for the spring semester 2023 have been named to the Dean's List recognizing academic performance.

Hughes is earning a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Health, Entrepreneurship and Emerging Tech.

Miami University is a public university located in Oxford, Ohio.

INTERNATIONAL MOMENT Los Gatos High School junior Agata Fin will play in the European U21 Lacrosse Tournament in Prague, Czech Republic.

SPORTS

LONGHORNS CHEER EMPHASIZES DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVITY

LGC AD Routhier welcomes all comers

Emanuel Lee, Sports Editor Inclusivity. Diversity. Welcome for all.

That’s the message head coach and Athletic Director Amanda Rothier wants others to know about the Los Gatos-Campbell Pop Warner Cheerleading program. The Los Gatos resident is in her first full season running the show and has placed a heavy emphasis on including special-needs kids with the ultimate goal of forming a thriving Challenger team.

“I really want more diversity on the team and include everyone from all abilities and [ethnic] backgrounds,” said Routhier, who was an assistant coach in the organization last year. “I want our cheer program to be a place where everyone will feel welcomed and to have diversity in all aspects. I’m all about having diversity within this team.”

Los Gatos-Campbell Cheer has three teams: Tiny Mites (5-7 year olds), Mighty Mites (7-9) and Junior Pee Wee (8-11). Routhier said there are a solid 27 girls in the program and three more that could be joining soon.

Overall, it’s been a boost from last year, when 23 girls started out in the program but only 18 were remaining by the end of the season, Routhier said. Her goal is to boost the roster to 40 within the next couple of years.

“Forty would be amazing,” said Routhier, who also serves as the coach of the Junior Pee Wee team.

Routhier said there are two special-needs girls—Joy and Avery—who have been a tremendously positive addition to the program. Joy is a 10-year-old on the Junior Pee Wee squad and Avery is an 8-year-old on the Mighty Mites. Joy’s mom, Michele Wymer, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram expressing gratitude for how the LGC cheerleaders and Megan Wilson welcomed Joy with open arms and made her feel loved and a part of something special.

“The girls are so patient and even though Joy doesn’t get all the moves, no one bats an eye,” Michele said in the post. “They just dance around her and celebrate her every move. They have

encouraged her on every level and she has thrived. … I can’t even type this without tears streaming. I’m just so thankful—for sweet girls who are patient and kind, for an amazing coach who has encouraged Joy (and her mama) every single week and was not even slightly daunted by coaching 30 little girls, two with Down Syndrome.”

Even though some special-needs kids are more functional than others, Routhier said there’s a place for everyone to make an impact. For athletes who are less functional, sideline cheer can be a great option. For the special-needs kids on the higher functional end, they can learn stunts and dances and take part in the routines that involve a greater level of athleticism.

Elba Navarro is the mom of Luna, a 4-year-old who is one of the youngest girls in the LGC cheer program. Elba said she was considering two other or-

ganizations but was blown away by LGC and Routhier’s transparency and heart for her Luna, who suffers from occasional seizures.

But LGC made Luna feel welcome and accepted immediately.

“When I was considering which organization for Luna specifically, one of the concerns for me obviously was the demographics because my child is bi-racial,” Elba said. “And not that the other places weren’t welcoming, but I chose the Los Gatos Longhorns and Amanda specifically because she was very responsive and everyone on the team was very, very sweet.

“Amanda held cheer clinics and was very attentive, very warm, very sweet, very responsive, so there was a lot of great communication. She made Luna feel really safe which I appreciated so it felt like a home environment, which sold me to sign up with the Longhorns.

I wanted to make sure my daughter felt safe whenever she cheered.”

Routhier’s daughter, Everleigh, is on the Junior Pee Wee squad and an incoming third-grader at Campbell Innovation School. Routhier has another goal to diversify her recruiting area, and wants to to attract more cheerleaders from the Campbell-Willow Glen area in addition to the members in the program who are from Los Gatos.

Routhier said she moved practices from Los Gatos High School to the Campbell Community Center “to make it more accessible for more people.”

“Living next to the high school, I could’ve walked to practice but I put our practice location so it’s more central to everybody,” she said.

The season starts Aug. 1 but summer conditioning begins June 21. For information, contact Routhier at losgatoscheer@gmail.com or 408.630.1574.

CHEER TIME Members of the Los Gatos-Campbell Longhorns Pop Warner Cheerleading organization are always working out or practicing as they build up toward the season which starts in August.

GUEST VIEW

Facing old age

Jeffrey P. Blum , Contributor

As I move through my senior years in semi-retirement mode, I share jokes about ailments and commiserate with fellow old timers about lost loved ones. At the same time, I apply myself to my job as a commissioner on the Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC), striving to improve senior services in our community. The dual role of an aged senior and a member of the CHSSC led me to read “My Father’s Brain: Life In the Shadow of Alzheimer’s,” by Sandeep Jauhar.

Jauhar, who is a doctor, insightfully and touchingly tells the story of how his father descended into dementia. He also explains to the lay person how dementia impacts the brain. I winced when I read about Jauhar’s anxiety and embarrassment concerning his much-diminished father’s behavior at a dinner honoring his father for his establishment of a scholarship fund for foreign students. This was one episode of many illustrating how his father’s diminished capacities impacted his father, Jauhar, and their family. Jauhar’s book led me to consider the ways I can, for my own benefit and for the benefit of others, to the extent possible, keep dementia gremlins at bay.

I am heartened by the progress that has been made locally to provide opportunities to seniors educationally and socially to help stave off dementia. For example, courtesy of the town council, LGS Recreation and Eleanor Yick, a fellow commissioner, we have the HUB, which is a resource for seniors seeking information about mental health and other services available in our community. Moreover, both LGS Recreation and KCAT offer numerous other activities to keep seniors socially engaged and educated. The Live Oak Senior Nutrition and Service Center is also available to seniors. We also have the Senior Services Road Map, which is a comprehensive plan to improve the lives of our seniors.

Years ago, I collaborated with my then-teenage daughter, Emily, and

with Sheila Mandoli, then in her 80s and a proponent of furthering intergenerational relations. It started with a coffee between the three of us, each representing a different generation. After this gathering, the three of us put together a cable television presentation on intergenerational relations.

This long-ago activity about bringing seniors and youth together came to mind recently when I met with Catherine Somers, president of the Chamber of Commerce. During our meeting Catherine told me about her idea to set up tables with chess sets in the town plaza. Her idea is that seniors, as they do elsewhere, would take advantage of this set up to play chess with their friends. The chess games would in turn attract high schoolers, and perhaps younger children, who would watch and presumably engage with the seniors.

From my search in a bid to beat dementia as much as possible, I learned of the existence of Senior Corps, a national service program connecting seniors with volunteer opportunities in their communities. It includes Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). I also rediscovered the Elderhostel/Road Scholar educational travel experiences and the Senior Olympics, which gives seniors the opportunity to compete in a wide range of sports activities. A new one to me is the Osher Foundation Lifelong Learning Institutes, which offer educational programs, activities, and courses for seniors.

I decided to read “My Father’s Brain” to educate myself as to what lies ahead possibly for me and for others whom I love. I also plunged into the book to add to the discussion about how our community can expand senior services, believing that it is far better to address tough issues than to ignore them in the hope they will not touch our lives.

Jeffrey P. Blum is a family law mediator who lives in Los Gatos.

THE LONG LOST HOTEL LYNDON

Alan Feinberg, Contributor

The former Hotel Lyndon may be the most notable Los Gatos landmark lost to history. This magnificent hotel was built by one of our town’s earliest and most prominent citizens John Weldon Lyndon who many consider to be the “Father of Los Gatos.”

With velvet carpets, custom made maple furnishings and a wide front porch, the hotel proudly boasted 60 deluxe bedrooms and "strictly first class accommodations.” It replaced John Lyndon’s Los Gatos Hotel, a handsome New Orleans Colonial-style inn which burned to the ground only eight years after it opened.

Despite having no insurance, Lyndon made a rapid recovery and wasted no time building what many considered to be the finest hotel in the area. When the Hotel Lyndon opened with great fanfare on June 1, 1899, nearly the entire town turned out for a day-long celebration.

The two-story hotel occupied 175 feet of frontage on South Santa Cruz Avenue at the intersection of West Main Street. It was painted white with a distinctive red shingle roof and was conveniently located directly across the street from the train depot. In addition to rooms of

various sizes, there were cottages for rent in the spacious gardens behind the hotel. An exclusive gentlemen’s sitting room known as the Indian Room featured genuine Navajo hangings, rugs, baskets and pottery. The hotel also offered a genteel ladies parlor with comfortable easy

chairs and a piano. The building was constructed with more than 300,000 feet of Santa Cruz mountain redwood from John’s brother James Lyndon’s Los Gatos lumberyard.

The Hotel Lyndon held an important place in the cultural identity of Los Gatos for over 60 years. Local newspaper accounts of the day suggested that almost anything of significance in town happened at the hotel. It was the site of countless banquets, weddings, dances, recitals, celebrations and meetings, and was “the place to be seen” in Los Gatos. If you stopped for a drink at the bar, you might have encountered author and local resident John Steinbeck, or perhaps Charlie Chaplin on one of his moviemaking visits to the area.

There were two large dining rooms, the more formal of which was described as the finest dining establishment in Los Gatos. In 1963, the Chef’s Special complete dinner, including hors d’oeuvres, soup, salad, and roast chicken with mushroom dressing and gravy cost $2.25. The most expensive item on the menu was a New York Cut Steak at $4.50. A children’s dinner with soup and salad plus a choice of veal cutlet, prawns, or roast chicken followed by ice cream and milk was offered for $1.25. These prices may seem ridiculously low, but they’re just about average in today’s dollars.

Sadly, the hotel had fallen into disrepair by the time these meals were being served. Although some old-timers favored restoration, it was the beginning of the Space Age and most people preferred sleek, modern design. Very little thought was given to historic preservation, so a demolition permit was issued on March 30, 1963. After the hotel was bulldozed, the nondescript Lyndon Plaza office and retail complex took its place. Today, if you enjoy dining on the outdoor patio at either Willow Street Pizza or Main Street Burgers, you’ll be seated in the shade of one of the two palm trees that John Lyndon planted more than 120 years ago to grace the entrance to his namesake hotel.

Content and photos from “Discover LOST Gatos” historical walking tours by Alan Feinberg, Peggy ConawayBergtold, and Sandy Decker. Download the free mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Contact us at discoverLOSTgatos@gmail.com.

TOWN JEWEL The Hotel Lyndon is shown in a postcard circa 1930.

LOST LANDMARK The Hotel Lyndon was demolished in 1963.

CALENDAR

For more events, visit the online calendar at losgatan.com/events-calendar

‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE’ SCREENING BENEFIT

The Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation will host an evening at the CineLux Los Gatos Theatre on July 19 for the premier showing of the new movie “Mission: Impossible.” It will start at 7pm and the cost will be a $50 donation to the Veterans Foundation.

➝ bit.ly/4183sMr.

LIVE JAZZ MUSIC

Live jazz performances at the Tasting House, 368 Village Lane, take place Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9pm, and Sundays from 11am-2pm.

ENTERTAINMENT AT GARDINO’S

Gardino’s, 51 N. Santa Cruz Ave., features entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, along with Sunday afternoons.

➝ bit.ly/3OSvPHS.

ONGOING

Los Gatos Farmers Market

The Los Gatos Certified Farmers’ Market offers seasonal fruits and vegetables from Santa Clara County yearround. More than 40 local farmers and food producers sell their wares Sundays from 9am to 1pm at Town Park Plaza on Main Street and N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

➝ cafarmersmkts.com/losgatosfarmers-market.

Campbell Farmers Market

The Downtown Campbell Farmers Market is held Sundays, rain or shine, from 9am to 1pm.

➝ uvfm.org/campbell-sundays.

The Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos

The club meets the first three Thursdays of the month at noon at Double D's, 354 N. Santa Cruz Ave. First two Thursdays of the month feature guest speakers.

➝ lgkiwanisgives.org.

Rotary Club of Los Gatos

The Rotary Club of Los Gatos meets Tuesdays from noon to 1:30pm at Shir Hadash Synagogue, 20 Cherry Blossom Lane.

➝ losgatosrotary.org.

The Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club

The Club meets every Wednesday morning 7:30-8:30am at Los Gatos Lodge, 50 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road. Program includes featured guest speakers.

Los Gatos Lions Club

The Los Gatos Lions Club meets every Wednesday. A breakfast meeting is held at Moore Buick, 15500 Los Gatos Blvd., at 8am and a noon meeting at Los Gatos Lodge, 50 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road, with a guest speaker. The club has been active since 1946.

Friends of Los Gatos Library Bookstore

The Friends of Los Gatos Library Bookstore is open Wednesday through Sunday from 1-6pm at the library, 110 E. Main St. For information, email friendsoflglib@aol.com.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Town Council

The Los Gatos Town Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7pm.

➝ losgatosca.gov/16/ Town-Council.

Planning Commission

The Los Gatos Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm.

➝ losgatosca.gov/189/ Planning-Commission.

Santa Clara County Supervisors

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors meets virtually on Tuesdays at 9am.

➝ bit.ly/3oy2Zmq.

Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

The board meets every other Tuesday at 5pm.

➝ bit.ly/3DaJRi9.

RENOVATIONS THROUGHOUT

FOUR LEVELS OF LIVING

This Los Gatos home built in 2005 has been updated in many areas.

This home, sitting in a more than one-acre garden setting, features unobstructed views of the valley below. Located at 16795 Paseo Carmelo in Los Gatos, the 6,475-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Located at 88 Forrest Ave., the 1,510-square-foot home includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The updated kitchen includes refinished hardwood cabinets, fully extending, soft close drawers, gas cooktop, fully tiled back splash, quartzite counters, under-cabinet lighting, and SS appliances such as a newer dishwasher and microwave.

includes a heated tile floor. Both upstairs bedrooms offer walk-in closets that open to additional large, carpeted storage areas.

The main house includes a kitchen with custom counters, along with a wet bar and breakfast nook overlooking the pool.

The two-car garage with an epoxy finish floor offers various storage areas and a motorized ceiling mounted lift for bike storage.

It also has a Moroccan-themed wine cellar with tasting bar, greenhouse, two-car garage and more.

The remodeled master suite bath

The home is built on four levels, featuring an elevator, and includes two attached interior apartments, each on its own level with private patios.

The home is listed at $2,250,000 by Compass. For information, visit tinyurl. com/2dtkdk3j.

The home, built in 1981, is listed at $5.5 million by Compass. For information, visit tinyurl.com/mr43d4z5.

PASEO CARMELO This Los Gatos home has multiple levels of gardens.